Aerial footage from the National Trust’s Holnicote estate in Somerset offers a clear view of how land management affects climate resilience. While much of the surrounding English countryside turned brown and parched during this summer’s five heatwaves, the rewilded sections of the estate remained green and lush. This contrast highlights the physical benefits of restoring natural river courses and wetlands.
Project manager Ben Eardley describes the intervention as creating natural sponges within the landscape. By reconnecting river systems with surrounding areas, the land now stores water during droughts and slows water during heavy storms. This dual function serves to protect downstream villages from flooding while maintaining healthy habitats throughout the dry season.
These results counter recent claims that rewilding projects contribute to the risk of wildfires. Instead, the data suggests that nature-based solutions act as essential infrastructure for communities facing climate instability. With over 90 percent of the UK’s wetlands lost over the last century, this approach provides a model for how to adapt to more frequent extreme weather events.
National Trust officials are now calling for broader government investment in these types of landscape restorations. As climate patterns shift, these projects offer a practical method to safeguard both nature and infrastructure against the increasing threat of droughts and floods.